The Runaway and the Circus Freak
by PetiteEnigma
Summary: Ty Lee and Toph talking about their histories. Takes place during chapters 21 and 22 of 'Sleepless Nights.' A sweet little oneshot. Review please.


**Disclaimer**: I don't own AtLA. If I did, I'd probably still be writing fanfiction.

A requested oneshot, based on this criteria:

For: Sunny Disposition  
Pairing: Toph/Ty Lee  
Genre: UST & Humor  
Rating: T  
Note: During Ch 21-22 of Sleepless Nights

The Runaway and the Circus Freak

"_I ran away too."_

"You ran away too?" Toph stops in her tracks.

Ty Lee's long legs come to a halt as well, "I know what you're going to say, I'm from a rich, powerful family and I shouldn't have left them."

"Actually, no, my family was similar; one of those families that bleeds gold, y'know?"

"I don't know, but, go on."

"I was born blind to possibly the most over-protective parents in all the Earth Kingdom—maybe even the world. No one knew I existed. I had no friends. The guards were nice and all, but there was no one around I could talk to. I mean, really talk to. I heard about this Earth bending competition called 'Earth Rumble.' I put on these clothes," she indicates her current outfit, "so no one would recognize me. It's not like I know what I look like, but other people do. I'm a really good Earth bender—it's how I see. I ended up winning a lot of the competitions. All of them. Until Aang came along and blew me out of the ring. Literally. It didn't hurt or anything. It was just unexpected. My pride was what hurt more than anything else. I got over that a while later and ran away with them. I told a half-lie that my dad had said I could travel the world. He hadn't said I could go with them. The rest, as they say, is history. I hate clichés." She lets out a long breath at the end of her monologue.

Ty Lee is taken aback, "I don't think I've ever heard you talk so much."

"I'm comfortable around you. Now tell. I told you about me. You have to tell me about you."

"I have six sisters who look just like me. No really. Seven of us were born one after another. That shouldn't even be able to happen! But it did. So I ran away and joined the circus. Then I went with Azula because she was my friend when we were little. Now I ended up as a Kyoshi Warrior. The identical uniforms remind me of home. Our parents always dressed us all in identical outfits. At least we were all the same size. I haven't talked to any of them in years." She rolls her shoulders.

"You were invisible to your parents," Toph sums it up.

She stomps and raises a substantially sized rock. Climbs up on it and motions for Ty Lee to do the same. The taller girl follows, her long legs dangling off the edge.

"If you're blind, how do you manage to put your hair in that giant bun?" She pokes at it.

"Quit that!" She bats Ty Lee's hands away, "I just pile the hair until it feels the way I want it and use a headband to keep it that way."

"You would look pretty with your hair down," The acrobat decides.

"Heh?" She doesn't understand.

"Don't get me wrong, you look pretty with your hair up like this too. I just haven't ever seen you any other way," Ty Lee clarifies.

"I don't care what I look like," she folds her arms.

"What if I care how you look?" She sets a hand on the smaller girl's shoulder.

"I'd say that's a silly thing to care about," she shrugs off the offending appendage.

"Have you ever worn makeup?" An honest question.

"Once. I hated it," she makes a face.

"You don't need it, at least, not much of it."

"How d'y'mean?"

"A little bit of eyeliner and some rouge and you'd be stunning."

"I'm pretty stunning anyway when I hit people in the head with rocks. Ty Lee, please try to understand, I don't care how I look because I'm blind and I can't see myself," she shakes her head.

"I'm sorry. I care too much how I look and I think everyone else has to care too. I wish I was more like you, Toph, and I didn't care how I looked. In the circus they drilled that into us. Our appearance was our most important attribute. It was what made people want to come watch us—to pay money."

"From what I've seen, you're pretty good. People should be paying money to see you because you're talented and good at what you do, not because you comply with conventional attractiveness."

"Thanks, Toph, that's really sweet."

"I try."

Ty Lee hugs the small master Earth bender who proceeds to slug her.

"Oww! What was that for?"

"That, Stretchy, is how I show affection."

"Stretchy?" She tilts her head to one side.

"I nickname everyone."

"I like it. Stretchy."

"I'm glad you do."

The girls sit on the rock, one with legs folded, the other with legs straight out, in companionable silence. They watch and listen to the world. Forget all the things that have gone on recently. Toph turns sideways and leans against Ty Lee. She feels their heartbeats, compares them. Ignores how they both beat a little faster than normal. Ty Lee loosely embraces Toph with a smile, closes her eyes. Maybe this peace is what they've been missing.

* * *

A/N: I had a lot of fun writing this. I hope you like this, Sunny Disposition. Please review!

To request a oneshot of your own, send me a PM with the info listed on my profile.


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